MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (April 2, 2024) -- On Tuesday evening, Rocky River opened its scheduled four-game stretch in The Ripken Experience Myrtle Beach Spring Training Tournament. The Pirates fell to a tough North Burlington (N.J.) squad 9-1.

The Greyhounds outhit the Pirates 13-2 and leveraged five River errors in the contest. Northern Burlington opened a 5-0 lead through two innings. With Makayla Fontana twirling an 18-strikeout gem, those five runs (three earned) would hold up on their own.

The River Nine got its lone run in the top of the third. After Elizabeth Smalley scored that run, Fontana got on a roll, retiring 13 straight Buccaneer batters before Lillian Sereika singled in the top of the seventh.

The Greyhounds scored the balance of their runs -- two in each frame -- in the fourth and fifth innings. For the game, they scored six of their nine runs with two outs.

Rocky River (2-1) is scheduled to play two games Wednesday and one on Thursday. The Thursday tilt will actually mark the team's Great Lakes Conference opener: the Pirates are slated to take on the rival Bay Rockets in that one.


by Skip Snow

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